Chapter 23: The Prince's Tomb

Having dispatched the Barrow-wight, Kael breathed a sigh of relief. The encounter, however, only served to heighten his vigilance. The commotion had been loud, likely waking other wights within the Barrow-downs. He had to act quickly. He consulted Tom's map and pressed forward, his eyes scanning the ancient tombstones he passed. The inscriptions were nearly illegible, corroded by time and weather. His goal was to find the tomb of a prince—the last prince of the fallen Kingdom of Cardolan. He had tragically died defending his land against the Witch-king of Angmar and was buried here. Tom had said that his tomb held the blade Kael sought. Before he could locate the prince's tomb, the Hogwarts Sign-in System activated once more. [Hogwarts Sign-in System] [Location Detected: The Barrow-downs] [Would you like to sign in?] "Sign in!" [Sign-in Successful!] [Congratulations! You have obtained the Dark Arts textbook: Curses and Counter-Curses] A book with a cover depicting a twisted, tormented face materialized in Kael's mind. A Dark Arts book? He was surprised; he hadn't expected to receive such a text from the sign-in. However, he had no time to examine it. The surrounding mist suddenly thickened, and he heard the distinct, unsettling sound of something breaking through the earth. More wights had emerged, and from the sounds, there were several of them. Uneasy, Kael layered another dozen Shield Charms upon himself, then gripped his wand tightly, ready for an assault from any direction. The cursed greatsword he had acquired floated at his side, poised to strike. The next moment, the mist surged, and a wight charged from the gloom. As expected, it was repelled by the magical barrier, and before it could land, Kael's Petrificus Totalus struck, freezing it in place. Before he could cast another spell, three more wights rushed from the mist, each wielding a greatsword that pulsed with a dark, malevolent energy. Their speed was incredible. They closed the distance in the blink of an eye, their cursed blades cleaving through Kael's outer layers of defense. "Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus!" Kael reacted swiftly, unleashing a rapid succession of spells. But these wights were smarter; two of them dodged his attacks, their movements unnaturally quick. Before the two could press their advantage, the cursed greatsword under Kael's control became a blur of motion, piercing one of the wights through its chest. Its body stiffened, and in the next second, it was hit by another spell, its own sword clattering to the ground. The final wight could not escape. The disarmed blades became Kael's weapons, surrounding it from three sides and impaling it like a macabre pin cushion. After neutralizing the last wight, Kael quickly cast several more Petrificus Totalus spells on each of them to ensure they remained immobilized. Then, using their own cursed swords against them, he methodically destroyed each one. With several plumes of black mist shooting skyward, the wights fell, their bodies rapidly decaying into piles of white bone. Kael collected the cursed greatswords. As he did, he noticed jewelry and other adornments among the skeletal remains. He carefully wrapped them in a piece of old cloth, taking care not to touch them directly, as he knew they were as cursed as the blades. After securing his grim treasures, Kael continued his search, finally stopping before a tall tomb constructed of white marble. "This must be it," he murmured, cross-referencing the tomb with Tom's map. The inscriptions were faded, but the tomb's grandeur spoke of the noble status of its occupant. The entrance was broken and blocked by rubble. Kael spent some effort clearing the stones, revealing a dark, deep passage. "Sigh," he mused, "I never thought I'd become a tomb raider." He then resolutely entered. The passage was spacious, wide enough for him to walk upright. He cast a Lumos spell, and a ball of light flew from his wand, illuminating the way. The four cursed greatswords circled him, ready to strike any threat. After a long, winding walk, he finally reached the burial chamber. It was vast and empty, save for a stone coffin resting in the center. What surprised Kael was the utter lack of wights since he had entered the tomb. This unusual calm did not put him at ease; it only heightened his vigilance. He looked at the stone coffin. If there were no wights in the chamber, the only hiding place was within. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The stone coffin lid slowly levitated. Not giving whatever was inside a chance to emerge, Kael immediately cast several Petrificus Totalus spells into the opening. Only after he was certain the occupant was immobilized did he completely remove the lid. The light of his spell revealed the wight lying within: a hideous, ugly creature, its dry skin stretched taut over its skull, its black eyes flickering with a cold, bloodthirsty light. Had it not been for Kael's preemptive strike, it would have undoubtedly burst from the coffin to attack him. This wight's attire was different. It wore a silver, gem-encrusted crown and was adorned with precious jewels. A greatsword, radiating a chilling aura, rested on its chest. "Alas, to find no peace even after death. What a pitiful fellow," Kael said with a tinge of sympathy. He knew this was the last prince of Cardolan, slain in battle against the Witch-king, his body desecrated and turned into this monstrous creature. "Never mind," Kael said, his voice hardening. "Since I'm such a good person, I'll help you find release." He first disarmed the wight, then, controlling the five cursed greatswords, prepared to deliver the final blow. But just as he was about to strike, a burst of dark power erupted from the wight's body, shattering the spells that bound it. Its eyes turned a burning blood-red, radiating an evil, negative energy that induced fear and despair. Its angry gaze locked onto Kael, and a dry, hoarse, chilling voice emanated from its throat: "Who are you? How dare you strike down the servant of the great Witch-king!" Enveloped by the dark power, Kael felt a suffocating sensation, a wave of negative emotions washing over him. The cursed greatswords he controlled swayed precariously. He bit his tongue hard, the sharp pain temporarily freeing him from the paralyzing fear. He then waved his wand, and cheerful, golden musical notes danced from its tip, echoing through the chamber. The joyful magic of his music instantly suppressed the wight's dark power. Taking advantage of its momentary stun, Kael unleashed his full power. "Petrificus Totalus!" A dazzling white light struck the wight, petrifying it once more. This time, he gave it no chance to recover. The five cursed greatswords delivered the final blow, piercing through the wight's head. Unwillingness flickered in its red eyes before they extinguished completely. A chilling voice echoed in the chamber: "I will remember you, Wizard..." The black mist within the wight dissipated, and its corpse instantly decayed into a pile of white bones. *** (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl] [+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]